Paddle Your Problems Away With Stand Up Paddle Life Co.

Standing on a paddleboard, with water under your feet and only the sounds of nature all around you, can either be extremely unnerving or extremely relaxing, depending on your disposition. 

Frank and Sharon Dillenburg, owners of , want to make sure the experience is as enjoyable and relaxing for their paddlers as it is for each of them.

And although the Dillenburgs may run their paddleboarding business out of a small shop on Alternate U.S. 19, they are truly at home on the water — any body of water.

“A common misconception of paddleboarding is that it has to be done at the beach,” Sharon says. “The truth is, the best paddleboarding is done on placid water.

“You don’t need waves to paddleboard.”

Standup paddling, or SUP, is still a growing sport in this country. But much like its mainstream sibling, surfing, it is an addictive activity that bonds the participant with nature, all while providing an excellent workout in a beautiful environment. 

Frank and Sharon are two of about 75 paddleboard instructors nationwide who have been certified by the World Paddle Association, the sport’s governing body. 

In addition to their expertise on the safety and technical aspects of paddling, they are also extremely patient and supportive of people who are just getting their feet wet, so to speak, in the sport.

“Frank and Sharon are very good teachers,” Susan Little of Tarpon Springs said before a lesson last week at . “They’re explanative and informative. They want you to learn.”

That desire to teach the sport they love is what led the Dillenburgs to open Stand Up Paddle Life Co. in the first place.

After getting introduced to paddling in Hawaii five years ago, Frank immediately became hooked on the sport. He began looking for outlets for his newfound passion when he got back home but was hard pressed to find any.

While visiting Siesta Key, he borrowed a board and a paddle from someone on the beach, and even though he later learned he was using the wrong board, soon he was turning his passion into a profession.

“I started entering races, and people were complimenting me even though I finished last. They said I did great for using the wrong board,” Frank recalls.

“There is a big difference between a surfboard and a paddleboard," he said. "A paddleboard is wider and longer, and there’s not as much rock to it; it’s more stable.”

After finding the right board, he got better and better at paddling, and he soon found more and more people asking him for tips and lessons.

What started with a trailer full of boards and a growing group of students has led to the shop at the corner of Delaware Street, and shortly after advertising on Meetup, the business took off.

The company now carries three lines of well-known boards that range in price from $800 to $2,100, and has more than 100 members who participate in group paddles all over the area.

SUPlements, as the paddlers are referred to, don’t need to own a board to participate in a paddle event; the cost is $30 for those who rent a board, $15 if you own your own, and there is no time limit to the length of the lessons.

In the Dillenburgs' eyes, the future of the sport is extremely bright. “This will be an Olympic sport in four to five years,” Frank confidently states.

Sharon points out that the low-impact exercise creates no stress on the joints yet provides an excellent core workout, making it an ideal activity for participants of any age.

And the peace of mind one gets from mastering an activity while harmonizing with nature is something that can’t be duplicated in a gym or an arena.

“The sport has grown so much in the last year, year and a half because it’s gone inland, and anyone can do it,” Frank says.

“The future of the sport is not us, but the youth that is getting turned on to it right now.”

Stand Up Paddle Life Co.

Address: 1688 Alternate U.S. 19 (Delaware Plaza)

Phone: 813-758-2445

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; call for shop hours and group event times